238 Properties for sale in Haute-Savoie, Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, France
Haute-Savoie
Bordering both Italy and Switzerland, Haute-Savoie is one of the eight departments belonging to the Rhône-Alpes region. It is home to the majestic Mont Blanc mountain range and has the largest range of elevations of all the departments in France. Haute-Savoie abounds in world-class ski resorts, including Chamonix, where the first ever Winter Olympic Games took place in 1924, and also boasts a number of charming spa towns such as Evian-les-Bains.
CAPITAL: ANNECY - Lying on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, Annecy is often called the ‘Venice of the Alps' as the old town is criss-crossed by tributaries of the River Thiou, one of the shortest rivers in Europe. Lake Annecy itself offers a wide range of sport and leisure activities, and hosts a festival every August.
Access from UK
By air: Geneva, Lyon, Chambéry and Grenoble
By train: Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Lyon then regional services to Annecy
By road: Annecy is 822km from Calais
Climate
Average annual temperature: (Chambéry): 6.5ºc/ 16.5ºc
Average annual rainfall: 1,221.0mm
Average annual sunshine hours: 1,870.3
Highlights
The department is, of course, famous for ski resorts which include such names as Chamonix, Morzine, Les Gets and Samoëns. And then, of course, there's Mont Blanc, which at 4,810m is the highest mountain in the Alps. On the shores of Lake Geneva, the spa town of Évian-les-Bains gives its name to the mineral water which is bottled from the local spring. Haute-Savoie is also home to the rather unusually named Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, which is known for its large limestone amphitheatre and the Cascade du Rouget waterfall, nicknamed the Queen of the Alps.